Foods and food supplements such as dietary supplements, functional foods and medical foods offer an affordable solution for preventing diseases in addition to offering health promoting and health maintaining effects. Use of natural edible and medicinal mushrooms as traditional medicine by different ethnic groups especially by a majority of population from Eastern countries is known from historic evidences.
Functional foods are generally similar to conventional foods that are consumed as part of a usual diet, which in addition to basic nutrition functions, possess bioactive compounds that offer physiological benefits such as reducing risk of chronic disease. The role of beneficial microorganisms, especially fungi, in the formation of fermentation foods is paramount and fermented foods such as yoghurt, red rice, cheese, wine, fermented beverages among such other food products are a part of daily diet for people in different cultures. Fermented foods, unlike non-fermented foods, have a longer shelf-life, improved quality and nutritional value thereby making fermentation a key factor in the preservation of such foods.
Fungi are metabolically similar to animals but structurally similar to plants, wherein fungi possess a rigid cell wall formed largely of long sugar molecule chains joined by complex, difficult to digest beta (β-) linkages and to a smaller extent more easily digestible alpha (α-) linkages in conjunction with membrane-bound proteins. In contrast, plant cell walls are made of cellulose polysaccharides comprising 1-4 glycosidic linkages, which are difficult to digest by human digestive enzymes. However, as fungal cell walls are primarily composed of 1-3 glycosidic linkages, with 1-6 linked side chains, their cell walls can be processed into smaller, more easily digestible and immunologically-active polysaccharide molecules with variable microparticle size called b-glucans, and related glycoprotein compounds.
Mycelia are produced by fungi and are composed of tubular, filamentous hyphal structures that facilitate collection of water and nutrients thereby enabling growth of the fruiting bodies or mushrooms. Mycelium has been used as a primary source for medicinal extracts and animal food, while the fruiting bodies or mushrooms, which normally take a longer duration to develop, are generally used as human food.
There exist numerous studies showing various beneficial effects of metabolites produced by medicinal and edible fungal species. Such species of beneficial fungi are selected based on their unique cell wall polysaccharides and their ability to produce desired quantity of specific metabolites by utilizing complex substrates. Metabolites from more than 650 mushroom species are known to have anti-tumor and immunomodulatory effects on humans.
It is known from the prior art that mycelial structures and metabolites of beneficial fungal species possess enhanced biological activity and numerous therapeutic properties. For instance, Agaricus blazei is referenced to produce unique alpha and beta-linked glucans called glucomannan and riboglucan, which are known anti-viral compounds. A. blazei polysaccharide extracts have been shown to have anti-cancer activity.
Cordyceps sinensis produces cordycepic acid, adenosine, D-mannitol, and cordycepinadenosine, which act as an immunomodulating agent and also shows anti-viral activity. C. Sinensis extracts have been shown to be exhibiting anti-aging and aphrodisiacal activity. Mycelial sterols isolated from C. sinensis have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of numerous cancer cell lines. C. sinensis mycelial polysaccharide extracts have been shown to induce hypoglycemia.
Mycelial structures of Flammulina velutipes comprise of a polysaccharide profile that shows immunomodulating activity. F. velutipes mycelium also comprises of a unique ergosterol, amino acid profile along with sterpuric acid, mannitol, ribitol, and nucleosides such as guanosine and adenosine. In addition, Enokipodins A-D extracted from F. Velutipes mycelium are broad spectrum antimicrobial terpenes. Proteins flammulin and velutin exhibit anti-HIV and anti-HPV activity.
Polysaccharide profile of Ganoderma lucidum has been shown to be immunomodulating in human cell lines. G. Lucidum mycelial extracts have anti-peroxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-mutagenic properties. Furthermore, G. Lucidum extracts possess anti-aging and aphrodisiacal properties. Triterpenoid profile of G. Lucidum has been determined and shown to be anti-hepatotoxic and hepatoprotective, anti-tumor, anti-angiogenic, anti-hypertensive, hypocholesterolemic and anti-histaminic activity. In addition to polysaccharides and glycoproteins, G. Lucidum also produces triterpenes, such as ganoderic and lucidenic acids, phenolic compounds, and sterols with high biological activity and therapeutic properties such as anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, hypotensive, and sedative properties.
Grifola frondosa polysaccharide profile has been shown to have immunomodulating and anti-oxidative activity. G. Frondosa produces ergosterols and an anti-oxidative profile of fatty acids. Anti-tumor effects of G. Frondosa extracts on in vitro cancer cell lines have also been studied extensively.
Hericium erinaceus mycelial structure and fruiting body extracts show anti-mutagenic and immunomodulatory activities across various cell lines. H. erinaceus produces hericenones in fruit bodies and erinacines in mycelium, hericenones and erinacines are structurally determined compounds that can pass through the blood-brain barrier and promote secretion of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in selective regions of the brain. Erinacenes have been shown to be greater potentiators of NGF expression than hericenones.
Lentinula edodes polysaccharide profile shows immunomodulating and antiviral activity. Lentinan and other metabolites have been studied for their numerous health care benefits. In some countries, lentinan is classified as an “antineoplastic polysaccharide” and is available for clinical use. Addition of lentinan to standard cancer therapies has been shown to result in increased tumor necrosis and with hepatocellular carcinoma and improved quality of life in patients with esophageal carcinoma.
Phellenis linteus extracts have been shown to exhibit anti-tumor activity. Similarly, Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide extracts have been studied and shown to possess anti-cancer, immunomodulating, anti-malarial, and hepatoprotective properties. Inonotus obliquus mycelial polysaccharide extract demonstrated anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, and anti-oxidative properties.
Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium and fruit body have been shown to be very similar in composition, differing only in its amino acid content. The mycelial polysaccharide profile consists primarily of laminarin, the extract of which has been shown to exhibit immunomodulating activity. Lovastatin, isolated from the mycelial broth of P. ostreatus exhibits anti-carcinoma activity, inhibits growth of harmful bacteria, fungi, and also helps in lowering of cholesterol level.
Trametes versicolor produces Heteroglucans with alpha (1-4) and beta (1-3) glycosidic linkages with fuctose in PSK (Krestin) and rhamnose, arabinose in PSP and has been shown to exhibit anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activity. PSK, an approved drug paid for by national health care in Japan, is a mycelial extract which exhibits immunomodulating, anti-viral, and cholesterol regulating properties.
Mycelial polysachharide extracts of Tremella fuciformis have been shown to be therapeutic for various circulatory disorders, neurological disorders and also exhibits anti-carcinoma, anti-tumor, and anti-aging properties. Similarly G. lucidum produces a protein called LZ-8 which shows immunomodulating and anti-tumor properties.
Myceliation of agricultural materials have been known in the art for providing nutrition enhanced food products for human consumption and for producing animal feedstuff. For example, US Patent Publication US20120082754 discloses use of myceliated grain and other myceliated agricultural materials as animal food supplement; US Patent Publication US20100239711 discloses a method of manufacturing coffee by solid state fermentation using fungal species belonging to Eumycota; US Patent Publication US20120231114 discloses a method for producing flours from grain myceliated with macroscopic fungi; US Patent Publication US20080171104 discloses production of health promoting dairy and food products containing mushroom glucan through fermentation of Grifola Frondosa; US Patent Publication US20050180989 discloses treating of hyperlipidemia by use of an anti-hyperlipidemic agent and food.
The present invention exploits the use of mycelial tissues instead of fruiting bodies of a variety of medicinal and edible mushroom species, which might take a longer duration for developing into fruiting bodies. There is a need in the art to have a new and better method of myceliation that is suitable for myceliation of a variety of agricultural substrates comprising seeds, grains, cereals, dry fruits, herbs, spices, non-legume beans among such other agricultural materials in order to produce functional foods from basic food products. Furthermore, such new method should employ more efficient inoculation and fermentation technologies that optimize utilization of interstitial space in and between items of substrate. Furthermore, such new method should employ a zero-waste philosophy in combination with new methods for producing functional foods and nutraceutical formulations, which may be used directly, stored for later use, packaged, or shipped.
Thus, the present invention satisfies the unmet needs and overcomes the deficiencies prevalent in the art by developing a new method of myceliation using efficient inoculation and fermentation technologies of a variety of agricultural substrates for producing functional foods with health benefits suitable for human consumption.